Chris Boden

Clarets boss Sean Dyche has left the door open for Joey Barton to come and train at Gawthorpe.

But anything behind that, as regards a contract once the transfer window opens in January, is a decision for another day.

Joey Barton

Barton was released by Rangers last Thursday after an ill-fated stint at Ibrox, having left Turf Moor in the summer.

And Dyche said: "Joey is one...there's lots of players in my past I've helped out, if he felt he needed a base to get fit, among many other players I've helped out, I'd listen.

"Beyond that, that would be it. The rest is for the future.

"That's not for now.

"Myself and my staff have helped out young players, old players, phone calls to other clubs, there was a good one that worked out that's going along nicely, and if Joey requires our support here, he'd get that.

"That's if he requires that, if he doesn't, he'll move forward to where he needs to move forward to.

"It's a situation where, if he called me and said 'can I train?', we'd help him out the best we could.

"If there's any guarantee beyond that, that's for the future, not for now."

Asked if Barton could still do a job in the Premier League, Dyche admitted: "Who knows? He hasn't played there for a couple of seasons. He did great for us, beyond that is the undefinable."

And he joked: "There's no guarantees, every player is a risk. I think Messi might have a go, he'd do alright, and if Rooney is available, if it goes the wrong way for him with all this craziness, he might get a chance, he'd get on the bench!"